distressed 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of distressednext
1
as in troubled

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words
2
as in depressed

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

distressed

2 of 2

verb

past tense of distress
as in alarmed
to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy don't let all the bad news distress you

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of distressed
Adjective
Sac City Unified in the spotlight A $222 million structural deficit has put Sacramento City Unified at the center of an unprecedented fiscal crisis that has drawn attention from leaders of other financially distressed districts. — Chaewon Chung updated October 8, Sacbee.com, 8 Oct. 2026 The biggest concentration of these highly distressed loans, of course, is in the technology sector, where SaaSpocalypse fears have eased among stock investors but not sandbag-packing credit investors. — Ellen Dimauro, semafor.com, 7 Oct. 2026
Verb
Changes To Leaves Or Bark Yellow, browning, or dropping leaves outside of the fall season can mean a tree is distressed from drought, pests, disease, or lack of nutrients. — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 9 Aug. 2026 Jeffrey Tam, a lawyer for nine residents of the Wang Fuk Court, noted some residents decided to give evidence despite being distressed by the tragedy. — ABC News, 17 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for distressed
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distressed
  1. troubled
  2. depressed
  3. alarmed
  4. agitated
  5. reduced
  6. disturbed
  7. ruined
  8. distracted
Adjective
  • Ramaswamy, who is challenging Democrat Amy Acton for the governor’s seat, has come under attack from some critics for airing a campaign ad this week featuring Acton’s estranged mother slamming her daughter as a troubled liar.
    — Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Betancourt’s legal problems stemmed from his role in troubled Venezuelan energy projects during the corrupt rule of former President Hugo Chávez.
    — Cate Brown, ProPublica, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of troubled
Adjective
  • Celebrated as masterpieces today, at the time they were regarded as the unpolished works of a depressed, crazy man and commercially worthless.
    — Joan Martelli, Time, 17 Oct. 2026
  • In the event of a severe winter or import bottlenecks, depressed storage levels not only narrow Europe's capacity to absorb supply shocks but also risk driving natural gas prices higher.
    — , CNBC, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of depressed
Verb
  • The symptom that alarmed me most in that moment was the progressive skin wrinkling in some NCBRS teens.
    — Deepa Fernandes, STAT, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Those moves have alarmed Japan, whose economy is dependent for its survival on open sea lines and which recently has been embroiled in a spat with China over remarks that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi made about Taiwan.
    — Andy Browne, semafor.com, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of alarmed
Adjective
  • Pressed by a reporter on a Zoom call about specific players, Wade grew agitated and defiant.
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 13 Oct. 2026
  • When the door finally opened, an agitated young man who resembled Ryan Gosling (Rett Keeter) shined an LED flashlight directly into my eyes, a gesture that would become familiar over the next hour.
    — Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of agitated
Adjective
  • Smaller packs, demanding conditions Nyobolt’s high-power battery technology combines rapid charging with a design focused on cycle life and reduced system weight.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Cleaning rooms less frequently can also help hotels reduce labor expenses, although reduced housekeeping has raised concerns among workers about heavier workloads and the impact on guests.
    — Ashley Lynch, Kansas City Star, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of reduced
Verb
  • As one of the most effective natural sinks for carbon, peatlands could accelerate climate change if disturbed.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026
  • She was especially disturbed by the emotional vulnerability that someone could exploit when a person believes a relationship is genuine.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of disturbed
Adjective
  • Sitting on the rim of his consciousness was always cataclysm, the muted whisper of a ruined world.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 July 2026
Definition of ruined
Verb
  • Take accountability for the times you yourself have been distracted (for whatever reason) and haven’t met the other’s needs.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Know when to ask for another ball and try your best not to be distracted by a nice rack.
    — Sean Joseph OutKick, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of distracted

Browse Nearby Words

distress
distressed
distresses
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Distressed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distressed. Accessed 23 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of asunder

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Oct. 23

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All